Secrets from the Past
by Impala-Girl-19
Summary: Follow on from the New Girl. Who was the ghostly girl that showed up in the last chapter?And what does her enigmatic message mean for Abbi, Dean and the others? Deeply sorry that chapter 3 has been quite literally years in coming...read and review!x
1. Chapter 1

I wondered how I had never noticed it before.

I sat on the edge of the bed slowly as I examined the small dark bloodstain on he corner of the sheet.

I was alone in the apartment. Ange was at work and Dean, Sam and John were gone to a bar downtown to watch the game.

I had noticed it as I was changing the bed and it had unnerved me.

Because now I could now longer tell myself that the ghostly girl and her eerie message had been a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

'You got some sugar for me?' asked Dean smoothly, coming up behind me and sliding his arms around my waist, pushing my hair aside and kissing my neck.

I gasped and started, not hearing him come in.

'Hey, you ok?' He moved around to stand in front of me, looking worried.

I smiled in relief, still shaken from earlier. I stuffed the blood stained sheet into the washer quickly and leaned in against his chest with a sigh.

'Yeah, I'm fine' I answered, with a smile kissing him gently. He raised and eyebrow.

'Seriously? You seem...edgy. What is it?'

I shrugged 'I didn't hear you come in, that's all. Glad you're back, I was getting lonely'

He smiled and pulled me closer. 'I'm back now...' he answered 'and we're all alone...'

I laughed. 'Oh really? And pray tell where's Sam and your Dad?'

He continued to kiss my neck, propelling towards the side board in the small laundry room, his lips muffled by my skin.

'_They're still in the bar...won't be back for a few hours...'_

I gasped in surprise as he slipped his hands under the backs of my thighs and lifted me up onto the side board, pushing my legs apart gently and lifting my white cotton skirt up around my waist, smoothing his hands over my legs and pushing them up underneath my tank top. My breath quickened.

'Something I can help you with, Winchester? I asked, my voice low as I pressed my lips to the side of his chin, feeling stubble underneath my lips and pushing my body closer to his. He pulled my top over my head gently, unclasping my bra deftly and moving his lips below my neck. I pushed his leather jacket over his shoulders and onto the floor, followed by his grey t-shirt, before I pulled desperately at the clasp of his belt and the zip on his jeans. His breath was hot on my body and I felt faint, just like I had the first time.

And as he kissed me and his hands roved over my body, his melting into mine, I totally forgot about the girl from last night and surrendered myself to his touch.


	3. Chapter 3

'But I really want to come with you guys! It's not fair – me stuck here and you three going off to save the world without me…it sucks. And you're being a sucky friend'

I sighed and continued to shove clothes into the oversized duffel bag on my bed. Ange had been bugging me for hours. She had finally given up on Sam, who had refused point blank and declined to even mention the subject, and she had sucker-punched Dean after she had sidled up to him and broached the issue, thinking that he might take her side, and he had doubled over laughing.

'As your boyfriend he should have utmost respect for your best friend and is in no way permitted to refuse anything I ask' she had growled afterwards when I had placated Dean and his bruised abdomen.

'Ange, you're not coming. End of story. Stop your whining, if you wanna do something helpful go grab my gear in the sitting room'.

She pouted and sat on the end of the bed in silence. I groaned inwardly. There was no way she was letting this go, her silence proved to me that she was simply ruminating on her next assault.

'Have you told Dean yet?'

'Told him what?' I asked absentmindedly as I entered the walk-in closet and began grabbing clothes and shoes from the racks. The Herve Leger body-con dress, a beautiful moss green, stared at me accusingly from the hanger where it hung beside the Christian Louboutins I had bought to go with it. I sighed sadly. I had insisted on a shopping trip before I left Manhattan. Even though the dress and shoes combined had cost me more than I spent in a month on motels, they were worth it. Dean had actually asked me on a belated first date and we had planned on dinner in a small French bistro. That was before Bobby had rang and said we needed to get our asses to Pittsburgh.

'Hello? Are you even listening to me?' Angela's voiced piped up from beside me.

'Sorry…what?' I asked, looking at her in confusion. My mind was in the little bistro with Dean and that beautiful dress…

''About the creepy ghost girl' she prompted gesturing at me like I was an idiot. I shook my head 'No…why? It's not important.'

Angela stared at me like I was a looner. 'Not important?' she echoed 'If a creepy dead girl showed up half a dozen times to choke at me and bleed over my Egyptian cotton sheets I would kinda see it as important! And the message she's been giving you? _'She's coming'_! What's all that about?'

I shrugged. 'It's probably an echo, y'know she's replaying her death. Nothing to do with me. Or Dean for that matter'

'But what happened to her?' Angela mused. I threw my hands up in frustration. I really did not have the time or inclination to discuss the matter.

'Who knows? We're in New York City. The mortality rate's pretty high'

She nodded slowly, not convinced. Hell, I wasn't convinced but I wasn't wasting time on the matter.

'Do me a favour?' I asked her seriously. She nodded.

'Don't say anything to Dean. He really doesn't need to worry about me right now. I had almost as hard a time as you trying to convince him that I had to go with them. He wants me to stay here, do nothing…as if'

'I won't. But I think you should'

'I will' I answered, knowing full well I never would. I could see his eyes, the worry and concern, if I did. He'd hole me up in a motel room somewhere and guard me twenty-four seven.

'_Sonofabitch!'_ I heard the roar come from the kitchen. I smiled, feeling the familiar feeling of butterflies and anticipation in my stomach that had never faded.


	4. Chapter 4

After hauling my bags into the back of the Impala I did a mental checklist of the things I needed. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sam and Ange standing together saying their goodbyes. I watched as Angela huddled close to him and he pulled her into his chest, kissing her hair and murmuring something into her ear. She smiled weakly but I could see the tears in her eyes and the redness that gave away the fact that she had been crying for a long time before this moment. Suddenly I felt bad for stonewalling her attempts to persuade us to let her come on the road. Even though I knew it was for the best and the only way to keep her safe was if she stayed here, I felt extremely sorry for her and Sam. I tried to imagine me being in her place, saying goodbye to Dean as he left on a hunt knowing that it might well be the last time I would see him. The thought was unbearable and I knew that nothing in this world could stop me going with him.  
'You all packed?' I turned to meet his green eyes and smiled sadly. 'All ready. I'm so sad for Ange and Sam...' he nodded, looking over at them as they held each other close. 'Imagine if that was us...' I said softly, my hand unconsciously reaching for his. Within a moment his had answered, curling around mine tightly. 'Honestly' he said quietly 'I don't think I could make myself leave you. I'd either bring you or...not go'  
I looked up at him in surprise. 'Not go?' I asked in amazement 'Are you saying that you would sacrifice a hunt for me?' He looked down at me his eyes confused. 'What' he said 'You think I would just leave you here? Are you crazy? Now that I have you, there's no way in hell you're going anywhere without me'. He pressed a quick kiss to my hair and turned to throw his bag in the trunk. Sam and Angela walked over, hand in hand.  
'Ready to go?' Dean asked his brother quietly. Sam nodded mutely and turned to Angela pulling her close for the last time before we left. 'I love you' I heard him say quietly. She nodded with a strained smile. 'You too...be safe' she added, her voice pleading. I stepped to her side and pulled her close. 'We'll call' I promised, my voice shaking. I was really going to miss her and leaving her here so forlorn was difficult.  
'She nodded. 'Please look after yourself' she made me promise. I nodded with a smile and stepped back. To my surprise Dean, not usually one for displays of emotion took my place and hugged her tightly, telling her to be careful and call if she needed anything. 'Look after them' she made him promise and he nodded solemnly.  
The last thing I saw as we pulled out of the parking lot was Angela's tear stained face.

As we left the city I settled back in the familiar back seat. Although I was still sad at leaving Angela there I felt a degree of excitement and anticipation at the thought of the hunt. Sam and Dean were arguing in the front and I was reassured that despite the happenings of the last few weeks nothing had changed.

We were somewhere in Pennsylvania and I was between asleep and awake when my phone began to ring loudly in my pocket. I fished it out and squinted at the screen in the darkness before pressing the connect button.  
'Hey Bobby! We're just in PA so we'll still be a coupla hours. What's the story?'  
'That's fine, you kids take it easy on the roads, let's try to get you here in one piece. I just wanted to update you on the case'  
'Sure, go ahead' I pressed another button that put the small cell on loudspeaker and Bobby's gruff voice filled the interior of the car.  
'So - twelve deaths in the last two weeks. All males, all young - in their late twenties, early thirties - no criminal records, good jobs, nice houses.'  
'So what do they have in common?' Sam asked from the front seat.  
'Not much' answered Bobby wearily. 'Just one thing - they all frequented the same bar in the weeks before their deaths. A sports bar on Carson Street.'  
'Anything strange about the bar?' asked Dean, looking in the rear view.  
'Well that's where it gets interesting' answered Bobby sounding almost cautious 'The bar is run completely by women. Beautiful women, if you don't mind me saying...'  
Sam frowned. 'Okay...any theories?'  
Bobby paused momentarily before continuing 'One...hear me out before you laugh'  
'Go on, Bobby' I prompted holding the cell towards the front seat.  
'Well I went through a few books and the only half plausible thing I could come up with was...sirens'.  
'I frowned. 'As in...Homer's _Oddessy _sirens? Demons who use their beauty to lure a man to his death?'  
'Yup'  
I paused for a second 'Well...I cant say I've ever thought them to be real but nothing surprises me these days...I guess we'll just have to check it out when we get there'  
'Thanks Bobby' called Sam. I did the same and snapped the phone shut. I looked up to the front seat to see the Winchesters staring at each other incredulously.  
'Friggin' sirens?' echoed Dean 'Seriously?'  
Sam shrugged, although didn't look too convinced. 'Who knows' he answered 'Like Abbi said, would it really surprise you?'

At last we pulled up to a small motel outside the city. I hopped out of the car to stretch my stiff legs. My stomach rumbled loudly and I realised I was ravenous. The food we had gotten a few hours ago seemed like weeks ago. I looked around to see the two brothers doing the same. Sam was already on the phone to Bobby and Dean was stretching with the customarily grumpy expression on his face that meant I wasn't the only one who was starving. When Sam snapped the phone shut he turned to us. 'Ok, so Bobby's up in his room. I'm gonna go up and see if there's anything else we can come up with'  
'How are you not hungry?' I groaned. He shrugged and smiled. 'Dunno. You guys get food, I'm gonna go book us some rooms and I'll see you up there when you're done'. He turned toward the motel and disappeared into it.  
'I saw a diner down the street' Dean said walking over. 'Let's eat'. I nodded and he threw an arm around my shoulders as we walked away from the motel.

The 'diner' actually turned out to be a small but sweet restaurant. I looked at Dean in surprise as he held the door open for me to enter. Inside we were greeted by a waitress who led us to a small table in a dimly lit corner.  
Awkwardly, Dean pulled out my chair with a half-grin and I sat, suppressing a smile. He sat opposite me and I gazed at him quizzically.  
'What's with this place? I thought we were going to a diner? I am so not dressed for this....' I looked down at my dark jeans and black top.  
'I lied' he said casually, grinning. 'And you're perfect'. I smiled and he reached over the table to take my hand in his.  
'I guess I'm just...trying to make up for the fact that we never got to go on that date before we left New York'  
I smiled at him, entwining my fingers in his. 'You really didn't have to' I said 'But I am sad you never got to see me in my new dress' I continued innocently, gazing at him from under my eyelashes, once again acting like a teenager with a crush.  
'Yeah, I'm pretty broken up about that one' he said seriously 'It was very...tight-looking.'  
I laughed and blushed. 'One day' I said and he looked slightly mollified.


	5. Chapter 5

It was amazing.

The whole two hours we spent in the small restaurant was perfect, and for the duration of that time it was like none of it existed. No demons, ghosts, vampires...it was all forgotten and it was like we were just a normal couple having a normal dinner. A normal couple completely in love. From all corners of the room I could see people watching us and smiling as Dean touched my hair and my face, every now and then lifting my hands to his mouth and kissing my fingers. Before I knew it we had gone through dinner, a bottle of wine and were laughing hysterically as we tried to feed each other cheesecake. I giggled as I held my fork out only to move it a second before his mouth reached it and smear it on his chin. He frowned and quick as a flash reached over the table and pulled me toward him, kissing me and transferring half the mess to my face. Giggling I wiped my face and proceeded to kiss the cake from his mouth and chin.

'If I didn't know better I'd say you were a siren' he said huskily, stroking my cheek. His face stiffened in surprise as my foot edged up the leg of his jeans under the table. He made a mock growling noise at the back of his throat and ran his lips over my chin.

'Can I get you guys anything else?' I looked up to see the middle aged waitress smiling down at us.

'Everything was perfect' I said smiling at her and taking the bill she held out. She walked away, looking back over her shoulder and smiling at us again. I wondered what she was thinking...did she think we were just a couple madly in love with each other? I smiled as I realized how wrong they all were. Before I had the chance to dig some cash from my pocket, Dean had plucked the cheque from my fingers and had laid it back on the table under a pile of cash.

'Ladies don't pay' he murmured.

Hand in hand we walked back to the motel. As we reached it I made to climb the concrete steps and gasped as Dean pulled me back, pinning me to the wall and pressing his lips to mine. I tangled myself around him as we kissed, like two teenagers on a first date. My head was spinning and my legs weakened. As he kissed my neck I would have fallen over if he hadn't held me tight.

'Whoa' he said with an irresistible grin 'Too much wine?'

'Noooo...' I laughed, slightly embarrassed 'That's kinda the effect you have on me, Winchester'

He looked surprised and a grin crept over his face. 'Seriously?' he asked incredulously.

I pulled myself even closer to him, winding my arms around his neck and placing my lips beside his ear.

'_Seriously_' I murmured. His arms engulfed me and he kissed me again...

His cell rang loudly.

Both of us groaned and he dug it from his pocket.

'_What! Sam, I thought we talked about this!'_

I could hear Sam's apologetic voice on the other end of the line. Dean scowled and snapped it shut.

'Bobby and Sam want us to go up' he breathed out and the sentence came in one breath.

'So Sam knew about tonight?' I asked curiously.

'Course. Had to get rid of him somehow. The night would have been quite different if him and Bobby had been between us'

'Quite' I laughed, putting my hand in his and following his lead back to the motel.


	6. Chapter 6

'Hey, Bobby!'

I smiled widely when I walked into the room and saw the familiar figure in the baseball cap. He stood up and pulled me into a tight bear-hug.

'How are ya, little lady? These boys lookin' after you ok?'

I grinned 'Sure. When I'm not looking after them.' He laughed and gestured for me to sit as he clapped Dean on the back.

Bobby was one of my favourite people in the world. Beneath his gruff exterior he was a teddy bear and like John he had begun to treat me like the daughter he never had.

I sat beside Sam where he was hunched over his lap-top.

'Anything new?' I asked seriously. He shrugged.

'Not much. You guys have a good dinner?'

I grinned.

'Great. Thanks for that'

He shook his head. 'Hey, what are brothers for?'

Clicking a few buttons he turned the screen to me. On it was an eighteenth century drawing of a beautiful woman in a long flowing dress. At her feet lay a male figure, prostrate in death.

'So most of the legends are the same. The sirens take the form of beautiful women and lure men to their death. For every male they kill they become more beautiful and more powerful. Apparently these sirens work from this bar they're running down on Carson, 'Sheila's'.

I nodded. 'Sure. Sounds like they have it all worked out. They're clever. So how do we kill them?'

'According to legend the only way to kill a siren is to show it its true reflection in a mirror.'

'That simple?' I asked.

'Not exactly. This is where you come in. There's an incantation that has to be performed over the mirror.'

'Incantations I can do' I answered with a smile. I looked over to where Dean and Bobby were deep in quiet conversation at the small coffee table.

'Let's get this done' I declared standing up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two Months later…**

The black pencil skirt I had chosen out in the rather expensive boutique was as close-fitting as the white shirt I had teamed it with, tucked in tightly and accessorised with a thick black leather waist belt. If I was gonna pretend I was a public defence lawyer, I was at least gonna be a hot one. Dean had been in Dark Creek Detention Centre for almost two days and the least I could do as I was pretending to go over his case was give him something to look at.

The skirt had a slit about three inches high. I studied it for a second and then taking a sharp silver knife from my back-pack carefully lengthened it by another couple of inches, exposing a generous amount of thigh. Making sure I had sufficient buttons undone on my shirt to expose a hint of cleavage I slid two diamond studs into my ears and pushed my loosely curled hair back.

I inspected myself in the mirror once more. I knew that by exposing more skin than I ever usually would I would distract the guards just enough to stop them from examining my faked ID too carefully. Satisfied, I grabbed the black leather case I had filled with what I hoped looked like important documents and left the motel room. Outside I dug the keys of the Impala from my pocket and opened the driver's door, sliding into the front seat. I located my cell and called Bobby to let him know I was on my way. Bobby was already at the prison, posing as Sam's PD. I laughed quietly as I flipped it shut and remembered seeing Bobby that morning, cleanly shaven and dressed in a sombre suit.

Slipping the keys into the ignition I started the car.

''Atta girl' I murmured as the engine roared to life. Reaching over I pressed play on the antiquated tape deck and Lynyrd Skynyrd 'I Know a Little' blared from the speaker's. I smiled and pulled out of the parking lot.

The prison was huge and daunting. I stepped out of the Impala, locking it and gripping the briefcase. As I walked to the entrance I heard whistles and cat calls coming from the outdoor rec area and I shivered. Although I knew that these guys were criminals I also knew that they didn't deserve to be violently tortured and killed by a shape-shifter.

Once inside it took me ten minutes to pass through the initial round of security before I reached the desk.

'Identification' the guard muttered as his eyes lingered on my chest. I placed my briefcase upon the desk and opened it, taking out the business card and holding it up to him.

'Casey Charleston, Public Defence lawyer for Dean Winchester'

He looked at me suspiciously and I smiled brightly. After a second he nodded and heaved himself up from his chair, leading me down the dimly lit corridor to the interview room. He reached for a key off his belt and opened the door.

'Thank you' I said, blocking the door and smiling at him. He grunted and walked off. I entered and shut the door behind me. Turning I realised there was another person sitting at the metal desk, a man in his late thirties with dark hair. He stood when I entered.

'Who the hell are you?' he barked facing me. A vein was popping in his forehead and I guessed that Dean had been patronising him for the length of the interview.

I plastered back on the irritatingly cheery expression.

'I'm Casey Charleston, and I'm Mr. Winchester's lawyer. Now I might ask you the same question'

He breathed in and out heavily, his face reddening.

'Detective Foley' he barked 'and you'll have to come back tomorrow, I'm not done here!' he roared. I smiled brightly at him, causing the popping vein to throb faster.

'Yes you are' I said matter-of-factly. 'In case you didn't hear me the first time, I'm Mr. Winchester's lawyer. That means that he doesn't have to say a single word to you until he's consulted with _me._ Now, unless you want me to call Judge Brown and inform him that you're trying to stop me from doing my job, I suggest you leave me alone with my client. Cops can be charged with obstruction of justice too, y'know' I continued to smile sweetly at him as his skin went from red to purple and finally he stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him. I rolled my eyes and made a face at his retreating back before looking over to the security camera on the opposite wall and weaving a charm over it. It wouldn't last more than twenty minutes, but for that time if anyone outside the room looked at the feed it would show me sitting across from my 'client' as though we were discussing his defence.

I heard a deep familiar laugh coming from behind me and turned to see Dean, shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit. I smiled for real.

'Hey, stranger' I murmured. I muttered a charm and the handcuffs clicked open.

I walked over to him and folded myself onto his lap, pressing my lips to his. He reciprocated in full, pulling me close and breathing out heavily.

'Well you are a sight for sore eyes' he said huskily when we parted. I smiled and pressed my lips to his neck.

'God, I missed you' I whispered. Looking up I studied him anxiously. 'Are you ok? Are the other kinds playing nice?'

He laughed and shrugged. 'Just peachy' he said brightly. Just then I saw the gash on his chin, and I pulled his face toward me.

'What the hell happened?' I asked, aghast. 'You said you were ok!'

'I am, baby! It's nothin'. Seriously, don't you worry your pretty head about me'

'Easier said than done' I muttered, releasing his chin 'I haven't slept since you've been in here'

'You missin' me that much?' he murmured seductively, tracing his lips along my jaw. I shivered and breathed out, happy to be in his arms again.

'Well, yeah…but more than that I'm worried about you. This plan is…dodgy. I don't like it'

'Dodgy?' he asked with a laugh, turning a pair of green eyes on me 'I love those Irish expressions of yours…' he continued to kiss my neck and I gently pushed him back.

'_Seriously'_ I insisted 'This whole thing is freaking me out. I need to know that your escape plan is actually going to work. I can't keep up this pretending to be your lawyer for – what was it….the twenty thousand years that they want to put you away!'

'You worry about me too much. I'm the one worrying about you. I don't like this plan any more than you do but tomorrow night we're out. The plan's concrete. Cant go wrong.'

I nodded slowly. 'Ok…fine. How's the hunt going?'

He shrugged 'Awesome. Sam and I are gonna gank the sonofabitch tonight. You bring the gun?' I reached over to the case and popped it open, pulling the small hand-gun out and giving it to him.

'I put a concealment charm on it. No one should know its there. Oh, and I brought you something else' I slipped off his knee and pulled a foil package from the case and a plastic fork.

'Sorry, metal wouldn't have gotten through the l detectors' I pulled the foil away from the plastic plate and Dean's eyes widened.

'Pie? Seriously? You are _awesome!_ Best girlfriend in the world! God, I love you!'

I laughed as he kissed me and dug into the pie. I sat across from him at the table.

'So what you been doing while I've been here?' he asked, mouth full of pie.

'Research, reading, trying to get the crap motel shower to work…' I shrugged. Life had been boring for the last few days since the boys had been inside.

'Tell me more about the shower' Dean grinned, finishing off the pie and fixing me with a mischievous grin. I smiled and reached over grabbing the plate and fork and throwing it into the trash can in the corner.

'Maybe another time, four minutes till the charm wears off the security camera'

'C'mere' he said quietly and I took up my original position on his lap.

'I love you, ok? And I need you to be alright. Please be careful when you go after this thing'

'Don't worry, I will. And I'll be out tomorrow night, before you know it. Ok?'

I nodded and he crushed his lips to mine. For a minute or so I lost myself in his touch before we separated. I straightened my shirt and clicked his cuffs shut.

'Maybe we can do the whole 'cuff me officer' thing another time…' he said thoughtfully. 'By the way – did I ever tell you that you are hands down the sexiest woman I've ever seen?'

'Gee, thanks Tiger' I laughed, kissing him one last time. '_Be careful'_

'Anything for you, sweetheart' I smiled again and left the room, trying to ignore the knot of worry in my stomach.

When I got back to the car I made an unusual gesture that I hadn't made since I was sixteen or seventeen – I made the sign of the cross over myself and prayed for Dean and Sam to come out of this OK. Even though I had heard all about the mythical Castiel from Sam and Dean I was still unsure, and although I knew they genuinely believed he was what he said he was I reckoned it was sketchy. I didn't buy into the whole God and angels thing, but I reckoned it was worth a shot.


	8. Chapter 8

'Job well done, guys' I raised my beer to clink theirs. Three hours ago I had been a bag of nerves as I had waited outside the prison in the Impala, waiting for them to make their break. Within minutes, satisfied with their victory they had jumped into the car and I had gladly vacated the driver's seat as I slid over to make room for Dean who kissed me when he opened the door. We had driven straight to a town a few hours away and had stopped at a bar to celebrate.

Later that night I slipped into bed beside Dean who had Led Zeppelin blaring at full volume from his head-phones. When he felt me sit down he switched off his iPod and pulled the head-phones out, reaching over and placing them on the bedside table. I leaned into him and he put an arm around me.

'You alright?' he asked quietly. I paused before I spoke.

'D'you know what I did the other day, when I left the prison?'

He shook his head and watched me expectantly. I frowned.

'I blessed myself. Haven't done that for…years. My dad used to insist that Jas and I go with him to Mass every Sunday. When we died we kept it up for a while and then stopped going…I guess I never really believed in the concept of God but I figured it couldn't do any harm.'

'I was the same' he agreed ''Till I met Cas, that is. He's a full-blown angel. He's actually pretty awesome, too. He's like completely fascinated with stuff like cell phones and light switches. He's a bit odd when you first meet him though; he's not really great at relating to humans. A bit like RainMan, if y'know what I mean'

I bit my lip thoughtfully. 'Are you…sure? I mean, from what you told me he's hugely powerful and obviously on your side, he pulled you out of Hell, after all…but is it not possible that he's…something else?'

Dean shook his head. 'I can't explain it but he's definitely an angel…sounds crazy, I know, but it's true. You'll get it when you meet him. Haven't seen him since…'bout two weeks before we met you'

I nodded. 'Ok, I'll take your word for it. Although I'm not sure how much one of God's servants is going to want to meet a witch'

'_White_ witch' Dean amended, kissing my hair. 'You have nothing in common with those fluid spewing, blood drinking …creatures. They're plain disgusting'

'You got that right. Plus the fact that most 'witches' aren't proper witches, just whores who sold their souls to Satan for a few cheap tricks and an instruction manual on how to make ghetto hex bags full of animal bones and blood'

'_Exactly_' Dean answered, leaning over and switching the light off. I sighed contentedly, settling into the crook of his arm and before I knew it had fallen into a deep sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

I awoke to the sensation of stifling heat. I groaned as I rolled over and my eyes opened in surprise, as, instead of feeling the motel room pillow under my cheek I felt damp stone. The smell of something rotten reached my nose and I choked and gagged. Sitting up in confusion I took in my surroundings. Dark stone walls and a roaring fire met my eyes. Panicking, I whipped my head around in a search for Dean, but he wasn't there. I sat in frozen shock, the fog of an interrupted sleep clouding my head.

The dank air around me was charged with something dark and evil. I could hear my own heart beat pounding in my ears and my breath quickened as I tried to work out where I was. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in the motel room, Dean at my side.

'Finally'

A slightly accented female voice reached my ears, and I stared into the shadows of the dark room, my eyes straining in protest as I tried to locate the owner of the disembodied voice.

'I can't tell you how long I've waited to meet you, Abbi.'

I staggered to my feet and whipped around. The rustle of heavy fabric met my ears and a woman emerged from the shadows.

She was tall and slender, long black hair flowed down her back. Her eyes were a startling cat-like green, her skin even paler than my own. A long heavy brocaded dress swathed her form, clinging to her small waist and falling to the floor in waves of ruby red. Her age was uncertain but I was sure that she was older than she looked.

As I stared at her, I realised that I recognised her. But from where…? Still panicked I mentally racked my brains in order to put a name to the face. I had dealt with a fair share of witches in my time, and that she was a witch I was certain. An incredibly powerful one, so powerful that my own heightened senses screamed in protest at the waves of Dark Magic emanating from her form. That explained the smell.

'You don't know who I am' she murmured, as though the thought amused her. My mental search was turning up no possibles.

'Then why don't you enlighten me' I answered cattily. As much as I was pissed that I had awoken in an underground dungeon only to be confronted with a strange Black witch of immense power, I was raging that she had the cheek to wake me in the middle of the night and take me from my motel room.

'Oh don't worry' she said in an assuring voice, as though she could read my thoughts 'I didn't take you anywhere. You're dreaming. When you wake up you'll be right back in your room'

She came to stand in front of me, her eyes sweeping over me.

'Who are you and what the hell do you want?' I demanded, anger igniting in my head.

She smiled.

'My dear' she said softly, shaking her head with a smile 'I'm your aunt'

I looked at her in shock. She was clearly either mad or lying.

'Yeah. Ok. Only that my mother was an only child. So why don't we start with the truth'

She laughed a rich velvety sound. 'How funny!' she cried clapping her hands together and shaking her head, again as though I amused her.

'What's funny – that you're lying or that I know you're lying?' I asked acidly. I was getting sick of the games.

'I find it…interesting that Julia neglected to tell her children that they had an aunt. I suppose in retrospect it makes sense that I never received any invitations to birthdays and Christmases. But my, you're every bit as beautiful as she was' as I stood there in shock, trying to make sense of the situation, she stepped forward and took my chin in her hand, tilting my face toward the light of the fire and examining me.

'Emerald eyes' she said quietly 'Just like your mother's'

'What are you talking about…?' I whispered 'How do you know her name?'

She laughed. 'So much suspicion in one so young. Abbi, my name is Livia. I'm your aunt, your mother's older sister. And I've been searching for you for a long time. It's such a relief to have found you'

Suddenly it felt as though the bottom of my stomach had fallen out as I realised why I recognised her. My mind pictured the photographs I had of my mother. This woman, although older, looked exactly like her. I gasped quietly as I stared.

'Ah, you see the family resemblance' she smiled 'we're quite distinctive, us Valerians. Long before you were born your mother and I were the celebrated beauties of Rome'

Everything that had happened in the past few minutes was so far out that my brain couldn't make sense of it and all I could do was stand there and stare.

'Why have you been looking for me?' I asked quietly, my voice hoarse with shock.

She smiled. 'Because our destinies are one' she said softly. She reached out for my wrist. 'May I?' she asked enquiringly. I nodded dumbly. I gasped as her fingers touched the skin on the inside of my wrist and the full weight of her incredible power hit me. Nausea and dizziness welled up inside me and I almost fell to the ground. I had come across Black witches before but her powers were unsurpassable, and so different to mine that it made me feel physically ill.

'You are very strong' she murmured, removing her fingers. At once I felt better and I gulped for air.

'I'm sorry' she said apologetically 'I'm afraid our powers, although from the same lineage are very different. I apologise for the adverse effect it has on you. Please' she waved her hand and a candle-lit table appeared, laden with a tall antique jug and a glass. 'Please, drink some water. It will help' her voice was…concerned. Slowly I moved to the table and poured a glass of cool water. I closed my eyes briefly before drinking it, to check that it was in fact water. I started with shock as I realised that I couldn't access my powers. They were there under the surface but I couldn't reach them…

'You don't trust me. You don't think I would hurt you Abbi, do you?'

I replaced the glass on the table.

'I don't know what you would do' I answered 'seeing as you haven't told me why I'm here'

She nodded sadly. 'I apologise, its just…well, I thought we could get to know each other. But then again I suppose you want to get back to your room' she sighed and raised her face to mine.

'Have you ever heard of the Prophecy of the Two?'

I shook my head slowly. Didn't ring any bells. Her voice was distant, I was still having trouble reconciling myself to the fact that I was standing face to face with an aunt I didn't know I had.

'It is a prophecy that was written in a time long ago. It speaks of two women in possession of the Gift. You and I'

I watched her cautiously. 'How do you know?' I asked 'It could be any two witches'

She shook her head with a knowing smile. 'Oh no, my dear. It is us. Let me explain'

She gestured me to sit beside her on an ornate sofa that appeared out of nowhere. To be honest, even if she was my aunt as she said, I was getting a bit sick of the party tricks. Underneath her smiling, softly spoken exterior I had the distinct feeling that she was show-casing her powers in order to intimidate me. Feeling extremely uncomfortable and slightly panicky, I sat slowly. She arranged her skirts and brought her eyes to face mine.

'The Prophecy is indeed about two witches. One of the witches is a witch of the Dark Arts, such as my self. The other a daughter of the Light – you. Together they will come together and through their combined powers they will become great'

'Right…' I watched her suspiciously. I had the feeling that she was definitely mad.

'OK' I stood up 'I'm sorry Livia. Even if you are telling the truth about us being family, I have really no interest in this prophecy. You should just go and find another White witch'

I turned away from her, even though I had no idea how to leave the room and return to the motel. My powers could not be reached and I had a feeling that she had cast some kind of web on the room in order to stop me from being able to use my powers.

'Another White witch won't do. It must be you'

Suddenly she was in front of me, her eyes glinting in the fire light.

'The Prophecy tells that these two witches must be related. Tell me, do you realise that you and your mother are anomalies of thousands of years of The Gift?'

I looked at her in confusion. 'No…' I shook my head.

She smiled. 'So much you don't know' she said softly. 'You do know that The Gift can only be inherited?'

I nodded blankly.

'But you obviously don't know that the nature of The Gift that runs in the special few families that possess it was decided in a time so long ago it is not in human memory?'

'I have no idea what you're talking about'

'The Gift runs in two strains – Black and White. Families possess one strain. If your family gift is in the Black Arts, every witch born to that family will be born a black witch. The same with the Light Arts.

Every witch in our family since the dawn of time has been a Black witch. Until you mother. And then you. That makes you rare and extremely special; hence the reason why I believe this prophecy can only be about us'

'My mother wasn't a witch' I countered, my self assurance returning. This woman had no idea what she was talking about. Something flashed in her eyes and she smiled again.

'But of course she was. Every female in our family was a witch. You and I are the last, the rest are dead. How do you think your mother kept you hidden from me for so long? The concealment charm she cast over you, your brother and your father was extremely potent. It began to weaken once she died, but it's taken it this long to fade to the point where I could locate you'.

My mind was spinning. 'Why would my mother want to hide us from you?' I asked quietly. Something felt very, very wrong.

'Your mother was weak' Anger slipped into her voice and she took a second to calm herself before she continued. 'All Julia wanted was to live the…how do the Americans call it?...the white picket fence life. She had no ambition, no drive. She ran away from home and married that Irish hunter, had two children and tried to forget what she was. As if it was even possible'. She made a disgusted noise at the back of her throat, and suddenly I was afraid.

'I had no idea…' my voice was little more than a whisper.

She nodded. 'I am glad that I can give you the truth. Now you must decide what to do with it'. She watched me for a second before speaking again.

'Think about it'

As she spoke her voice began to fade and suddenly it was dark.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning I awoke with a migraine that left black spots at the sides of my peripheral vision and a knot of nausea in my stomach. Reaching out blindly I felt Dean's comforting presence beside me and promptly ran to the bathroom where I banged up the toilet seat lid and vomited until my throat burned and tears streamed from my eyes. I was gasping for air and blindly grabbing for something to wipe my mouth with when I felt a hand gently push my hair from my face and pass me a wad of tissues. Gratefully I took them, wiped my mouth and slumped onto his warm shoulder in exhaustion.

'Are you OK? You're burning up'

His voice was taught with concern and he pressed a hand to my clammy forehead. With the other he passed me a glass of water that I sipped tentatively.

'This is gross' I protested weakly 'I don't want you to see this'.

He shushed me firmly. 'Crazy talk. You could never be gross – you cleaning blood and gore off me every other night? Now that's gross'.

I smiled and tried to get up but the invisible vice around my temples tightened and I gasped in pain. Smoothly he slid his arms under me and lifted me gently, carrying me back to the bed where he lay me down and pulled the covers back over me. I smiled faintly.

'I'll never know what I did to deserve you, y'know'

He smiled, concern still evident in his green eyes. 'Must've been something real bad' he joked before looking serious once more. 'Is this a normal kind of sick? Or a 'Gift' type of sick? Or…' for a second he looked worried. I laughed and put a hand to the side of his face.

'I'm not. Don't worry, cowboy'

Relief washed over his face and he breathed out. 'It's not that I don't…but now is…and…' he stuttered and it was my turn to shush him.

'I know. Me too. We're good' I winced again with pain and he got up to rummage through a bag, pulling out a box of aspirin. He pushed two into his hand and handed them to me with fresh glass of water. I swallowed them and sipped the water.

'I'm not sure, I think it's just a regular migraine. It'll pass, I'll be fine'.

He nodded but looked unsure. 'How about we stay put for the day?' he suggested. 'Sam hasn't found a new case yet, so we could put it down to a…research day'

'Research? You? Please' I laughed in spite of the pain and pushed him gently. 'I'll be fine, just give it time to wear off…in the meantime, keep me company'.

With that he settled back into bed beside me and pulled me on to his chest where I lay for an hour until the pain thankfully passed.


	11. Chapter 11

'Is that your mom?'

Dean sat beside me on the motel room bed and slid an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to place a kiss on my temple.

I nodded, still staring at the picture I held in my hand. It showed a woman in her twenties, dressed simply in jeans and a white t-shirt. She was sat in a bar and held a bottle of beer in one hand. Her green eyes were lit up in playful laughter and her long dark hair tumbled over her shoulders in waves as she blew a kiss to the photographer.

'My dad took this picture, just after they met in Dublin. He was working as an engineer in the city centre and she was a student of Latin literature in Trinity College. He wasn't watching where he was going one evening as he walked up Grafton St and he bumped into her…her books and papers were scattered everywhere and he helped to pick them up. He said he hadn't noticed her until he saw this huge pair of green eyes looking up at him and that was the end of him'. I smiled as I remembered how my Dad's eyes used to mist over when he talked about Mom.

'I believe it. Sounds a bit like the first time I met you…throw in a demon and a few assaults'. He slid a hand under my top and began to tickle my stomach. I squealed and squirmed out of his reach, jumping up off the bed and gasping for breath. He gazed at me, his green eyes darkening as he slowly raised himself from the bed and began to advance toward me. I backed up, my heart hammering with anticipation.

'Nooooo…Dean, no!'

I squealed again as he launched himself at me and I giggled breathlessly as I fought to pull his hands away from me as he tickled me relentlessly. At last he stopped and held me steady as I gasped for breath, my skin tingling from his touch.

'You…know…I…hate being…tickled!' I managed, pushing him playfully. He was laughing loudly as he held me, and bent his head to look in my eyes. As my emerald eyes met his sea-green ones, his expression changed and grew serious. His breath quickened and his grasp on me became stronger as he stared at me.

'You're so beautiful' he murmured, his voice gravelly with something I recognised, something that made me warm all over. He put a hand to the side of my face and pulled me even closer, so that I could smell his cologne and the musky warmth of his skin. My body was tingling all over and my breath was becoming shorter. Completely incapacitated, all I could do was stare into the eyes of the man in front of me, the man who had brought me back to life after the death of my brother, the man who made me feel safer than I had ever felt before. The man that I would do anything, _anything_, for.

'I wake up every morning earlier than you just so I can look at you while you sleep, and I _never _thought I would be one of those guys. I love that since I've been with you the inside of my car smells like your perfume. I love your voice, your laugh that you hate…and the way you see something in me that I don't even see myself. You make me…better. I love you so much I cant even think of a way to explain it to you…I want to be with you forever because the rest of my life doesn't seem like long enough.'

My breath hitched in surprise and emotion. I knew that Dean loved me, and he was always telling me that he did, but this…this was something I had never heard from him before and it had left me speechless. After a minute of staring at him in silence, I could feel my eyes well up ever so slightly and I pulled his face to mine. Still staring into his eyes I spoke.

'_You're my saviour. You saved me from loneliness and hatred…every day when I wake up beside you I cant believe that you're real and that I didn't just dream you up, and every day I'm scared you'll leave…'_

I stopped to take a breath before continuing, my voice breaking and tears beginning to stream down my face.

'_Don't ever leave me, Dean. I couldn't live without you…that's how much I love you'._

He regarded me in shock for a minute or so before leaning forward and gently pressing his lips to mine and tangling one hand in my hair while holding me at the small of my back with the other.

'_Never_' he repeated again and again in between kisses, wiping a tear from my cheek with one hand. Slowly he led me to the bed where he gently began to remove my clothes, brushing his hands and lips over every piece of skin he exposed, as though trying to memorise it. I did the same, pulling his grey t-shirt over his head and kissing him deeply as I undid his metal belt buckle. He inhaled deeply as I dragged my mouth over his chest, grazing my lips over the stubble at his chin. When he brought his lips to my collar bone and then my neck I sighed and pulled him closer. He pushed me back gently until we were lying on the bed, his warm muscled body pressed to mine. Feeling his lips on my skin, I tried to save the moment in my head as I knew it couldn't be any more perfect.


End file.
